Your “Why” is Your Superpower
As the new year approaches, many of us will be setting goals or resolutions. January 1st is the perfect time for a fresh start, which can be very motivating. But often our motivation wanes after a few weeks or months.
When I reflect on the well-being practices that I’ve been able to stick with, I believe there is one thing that has helped me the most: keeping my reasons for these habits top of mind. I constantly remind myself why I want to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep.
My main motivation comes from thinking about my future self. I want to live a long, healthy life for both myself and my family. Although women typically live about six years longer than men, they often face more health issues. I want my healthspan to more closely match my lifespan. My goal is to add more years to my life AND more life to my years.
Thinking about our goals in terms of why we are pursuing them is energizing and motivating. I strive to maintain my well-being practices because I want to be healthy. But why is my health so important to me? Here are a few reasons:
- I don’t want to be sick. I enjoy feeling good and having the energy to pursue my goals and live my life fully. I don’t want my family to worry about me or have to take care of me.
- I want to have as many healthy years as possible with my family and friends. We spent the holidays with my parents and our kids and watching them spend time together gives me such joy. I hope to be healthy enough thirty years from now to spend vacations and holidays with our children and, perhaps one day, our grandchildren.
- I want to maintain my health so I can travel. I love going on trips with my husband and our kids, and I want to stay healthy enough to continue having adventures around the world for many years to come.
My “whys” are important to me because they are directly linked to my core values of family and health. Keeping them at the forefront of my mind motivates me to stick with my goals. If I ever feel like I don’t have time to exercise, I remind myself that what I really don’t have time for is to be sick. When I’m tempted to eat junk food, I think about future travels with my husband or visits to see our children and their families.
Identifying the why behind your New Year’s resolution and keeping it top of mind will set you up for success!
